


Social Cues

by Lucigurl



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Angst, BAMF Rosalie Hale, F/M, Fights, Forks High School (Twilight), Forks Washington, Human, Jealous Rosalie, Jealousy, Mention of Rosalie's past, Modern Era, Name-Calling, Pre-Twilight, Prequel, Swearing, Sweet boy Emmett, Vampires, young cullens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:15:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28853415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucigurl/pseuds/Lucigurl
Summary: Rosalie can't get out of her own head. She can't see the wood for the trees. Emmett is hers and the tiny human Jessica is about to find out.Set 2 years before Bella comes to town, in the Cullens first few weeks at Forks High School.
Relationships: Emmett Cullen/Rosalie Hale, Rosalie Hale/Jessica Stanley
Kudos: 5





	Social Cues

It has already been a week since they started attending Forks High School. Walking into the cafeteria curious eyes still watch them as the 5 of them take their table in the far corner. The fluorescent lighting does nothing for their pale skin making them stand out even more. As if the needed any of that already, their beauty was enough out of place in this tiny, close related village. The thick smell of blood is worst in here, with most of the student body filing in to escape the rain. Poor Jasper, Rosalie thought kindly. It was easier for her now that she was getting closer to a century of practice. She turned the humans into a background chatter often. As if they had anything more to offer now than temptation for her kind.

Rosalie sat close to Emmett. She missed him all day. Emmett and Jasper were posing a year ahead and so they didn’t have any classes together. Rosalie, Alice and Edward started acting at 15 years old this time around so they could stay longer. Not being allowed to act ‘married’ in public anymore is taking its toll and it has only been a week. She wished she could hold his hand as Emmett leaned back in his chair casually. She copied his movements almost instinctually to help keep up the ruse. He was always much better at relaxing then she was. The others often complained she sat like she had a rod up her backside.

Emmett looked sideways at her longingly. He had plans to take her away this weekend to their own house in Aspen. For hunting, they had told the others. But when Alice tried to invite herself along Emmett had blurted, “And sex! You can’t come with us.” That had stopped her in her tracks. “You’ll catch a bear,” Alice had huffed and stalked away.

They didn’t talk at lunch often unless something interesting or concerning happened with the humans. She had just had P.E. with Alice and the two of them sat out, sulking on the sidelines while they watched the pathetic fumbling humans learn to play softball.

Edward laughed suddenly, drawing Rosalie’s attention.

“What is it?” Emmett asked.

Alice giggled behind her hand. Rosalie hated it when the two of them had private conversation due to their abilities.

“Edward had a girl flirt with him in Social Sciences.” Alice shared, despite the playful whack she got from Edward.

“Alright!” Emmett laughed. “Which one?” He craned his neck to see over the tables.

Rosalie kicked his foot with hers. “We’re trying to lay low, stop staring.”

“Jessica Stanley,” Edward continued. “She tried her best.”

“Edward turned her down, cold,” Alice reported. “In fact, you were pretty scary. You ought to show your kind side once and awhile. What was with that whole ‘I’m going to put this bluntly. I am not attracted to you in that way’?”

“Well, it was a play on words Sis... Because we _are_ attracted to their blood... Get it.” He explained. “Sorry, Jasper.”

Jasper shifted uncomfortably in his seat but said nothing. He was probably holding his breath.

“Yeah right,” Emmett mocked. “You have the most self-control out of all of us. Saint Edward strikes again. You ever gonna loosen up and get some?”

Edward glared at him from across the table. He looked as though he might throw the apple in his hands at him. Rosalie stifled a chuckle at that. Edward was never going to have sex in this lifetime, and she knew it, personally.

His eyes flicked to her angrily having heard where her mind was but she just pretended she didn’t see.

“What were you laughing about just now then?” Rosalie asked to deflect and change the tension at the table.

Edward softened quickly remembering and everyone could tell he was listening in to the human's thoughts by the way he tilted his head.

“She’s changed tact.” He finally said with a small amused smile.

Alice rolled her eyes, clearly another private conversation.

“What does that mean?” Rosalie pushed.

“It means... _I_ don’t have to worry about her sexual advances anymore.”

She didn’t like the way he said that last thing, but she could tell he wasn’t about to give away anymore. The two of them often played innocent, saying it wasn’t their place to mess with the future's outcome. Well, they sure liked to cheat and mess with the outcome when it benefited them in a game of chess.

“That was one time,” Edward said in answer to her thoughts.

* * *

It was finally the end of the school day and Emmett was leaving math class. As he rounded the corner a short brown-haired girl with an enormous grin plastered on her face was looking right at him. She was standing by the exit door at the end of the hall. He gave a quick, polite smile and his eyes flicked away nervously. He sped up as he walked down the corridor hoping to pass her without incident. She continued to openly stare and smile at him.

“Hey, I’m Jessica. Jessica Stanley.” She said waving with one hand as he got closer.

The same girl who tried to ask Edward out. Well, he could see why he turned her down, she was so young. What did she want?

“Hey,” Emmett bearly got out as he went to reach for the door.

“Oh let me get that for you,” She said and pulled the door open for him.

What the heck did he do to deserve this kind of reverse chivalry? He nodded once as thanks and stepped through.

“You’re one of the Cullens, Emmett right?” She continued following him as he walked along the veranda of the Maths and Science buildings to the parking lot where his family was waiting for him.

“Yep,” He said striding along and she somehow kept up with her tiny legs.

“Where did you guys just move from?” She asked.

“Alaska.” He replied. A conditioned response but not a total lie.

“Well,” She smiled up at him. “If you’re new to town I thought maybe you might wanna meet up with me this weekend? I could show you around all the cool hang out spots. It can be hard to find somewhere decent in such a small town. Sometimes I go crazy with bordem.”

She was rambling and he noticed the nervous energy she was giving off. This little girl was trying to ask him out as well! The balls on the kid!

“Ah,” Emmett froze in place just before the steps down to the car park. Best not to let Rose see this. “Thanks, but I’m going away this weekend.”

“Oh, unpacked already? That’s cool, that’s cool. Um.” She looked down embarrassed.

Why did she have to make him feel bad? Emmett rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.

Rosalie sat in the car with Alice, Jasper and Edward waiting for Emmett. She was wondering what was taking so long, she wanted to leave for Aspen as soon as they got home when she overheard his voice.

She could hear him just beyond the trees lining the parking lot. He was talking to someone.

“Yeah, we had movers... so” He stuttered not sure how to end the convo without ruining the girl's confidence twice in one day.

“Maybe another time then? Like after school or something?” She suggested.

He was talking to a girl.

“Who is it!?” Rosalie twisted in her seat to demand Edward to tell her.

“Jessica,” He laughed.

“Did you know about this?” She asked Alice in the back seat, who was covering her laugh in her hand.

“It’s fine, Rose.” Edward tried to reassure. “He’s handling it fine.”

“Yeah, maybe another time...” Emmett gave a waved and ducked out of the covering into the rain before she could make any definite plans with him.

“Bye Emmett!” She waved cheerily after him.

In the car, Rosalie boiled.

“I’m going to tell her where she can stick her nosy, stupid face.” She lunged aggressively forward to burst from the car.

“Rosalie, stop!” Edward placed a hand on her shoulder while Alice and Jasper restrained her from behind.

“I just want to give her a piece of my mind!” She shouted.

“And risk exposing us? Calm down. A human having a conversation with one of us is hardly cause for concern.” He chastised.

“But she was talking to my husband!”

“He’s not your husband in the confines of this school, sorry.”

“Rose he’s right there look,” Jasper said. “He’s excited to see you.”

A calm feeling washed over the car and Rosalie sagged against her seat.

She breathed in through her nose and closed her eyes. “Fuck you, Jasper.” She said quietly.

* * *

The next day Rosalie and Edward are sat in English class listening to the teacher talk about their next assignment. She knows for a fact Edward already finished it last night, so she leaned across towards him.

“Has she moved at all?” She asked. That morning she had enlisted Edwards help to track down Jessica. He agreed to help only for his own amusement, it was a fun game to play as he watched his jealous sister get riled up. She wanted to talk to her alone, so she had Edward keeping tabs on her mind.

“No,” Edward replied. “She’s down the hall in a class full of people.”

“Do you know when her free lesson is?” She was determined.

“How would –“

“Am I interrupting something important?” The teacher calls across the class. Everyone turns to stare at Rosalie and Edward sitting closely to one another. Edwards pulled away in his chair and cringed looking at his feet.

Yes, you’re interrupting something important! Rosalie wanted to yell back.

“Sorry,” Rosalie said simply.

The two sat in silence for a while longer until suddenly Edward was scribbling on the corner of his notebook.

 _She just went to the bathroom with Angela_.

Rosalie shot up out of her seat.

“Can I go to the bathroom please?” She asked her stunned teacher. They just rolled their eyes and handed her a hall pass.

The hallway was quiet as Rosalie stalked down it. Her heeled boots clicked loudly on the polished floors. All the easier for her to pinpoint the two girls voices 3 doors down in the nearest bathroom. She burst inside to see them standing at the mirrors. The glanced her way briefly shocked by her loud entrance before going back to their conversation.

“She’s just asking for negative attention at this point,” Jessica complained.

“Maybe she’s just going through something, Jess, we don’t know,” Angela suggested quietly.

Rosalie stalked over to the sinks, not bothering to keep up false pretences. She was here for a reason. Jessica and Angela looked up at her expectantly.

“Um, hi,” Jessica said.

Angela waved half-heartedly but visible shrank back against the wall at Rosalie’s face.

“Yeah, hi.” Rosalie grinned wickedly. “I heard you talking to Emmett last Friday.”

“And?” Jessica was confused.

“Stay away from him.” She stated with a tight fake small on her face.

“Oh! You’re Rosalie his sister right?” Realisation crossed Jessica’s eyes.

“Something like that,” She muttered. “So stay away, got it?”

“Why? He can hang out with whoever he wants to.” Jessica sniffed and turned her shoulder to look in the mirror. “He agreed to go to the lookout with me this coming weekend.”

“He what!?” Rosalie almost screeched.

“Like I said, he can choose whose company he prefers.”

“When did he ever say yes to that?” Rosalie's voice was rising in anger.

“That’s none of your business.” Jessica turned to square her shoulders with her again. She stared back at her, a challenge hanging in the air.

“Uh, let’s take it down a notch.” A barely audible Angela said.

“Oh, it is my business, bitch!” Rosalie stepped forward. This girl was not backing down easily.

“Why are you so concerned with who he dates? He’s your brother! Are you two having some sort of incestual relationship or something?”

Rosalie’s nostrils flared. “We’re adopted, you idiot! We aren’t related.”

“That’s still really creepy.” She snickered at her.

Rosalie was getting more and more riled up by this tiny human. She always had to have the last word and Jessica was not making it easy on her.

“Just leave him alone,” Rosalie threatened. “Or I’ll make your life a living hell.”

“What are you gonna do about it, fresh meat?”

She wouldn’t quit! “Argh!” Rosalie cried and punched the drywall next to the mirror. A large hole bore easily through like a knife through butter for her.

Jessica and Angela stared back at her with wide horrified eyes. Finally, that scared her.

“What is going on in here?” A teacher burst into the room after hearing the commotion from outside.

“She punched the wall, we were just using the toilet.” Jessica pointed at Rosalie.

Rosalie grimaced turning to face them. She bit down hard on her tongue to stop herself. She had let it go too far. The girls probably thought she was a freak now. Oh well, so be it, so long as they stayed away from Emmett now.

“Principal’s office. Now.” They held the door open for her and gestured.

“Don’t even think about him again, or I’ll know.” She warned throwing a final glare over her shoulder at a smug Jessica and a shrinking Angela.

* * *

“You said we had to act 15 years old,” Rosalie complained.

Her and Carlisle were walking out of the office after he had been called down to the school to discuss Rosalie’s behaviour. The Principal had been a bit star-struck by his beauty and stammered through the introductions before pulling herself together. Rosalie had agreed to fix the hole in the wall, which would be easy for someone as skilled with construction tools as her.

“I didn’t say destroy school property in the process.” Carlisle rebuked. He sounded just like a regular father would in this situation.

“Come on,” Rosalie whined on their way to the car now. “A troubled teen, struggling to settle into a new school. Textbook normal. You should be thanking me.”

“Really?” He countered. “And how should everyone else take it?”

“They’ll get over it.” She rolled her eyes.

“Oh, Esme.” He sighed opening the driver’s side door. “How are you going to explain this to her? You know how it will disappoint her that you aren’t at least trying to get along with the humans.”

“Can I drive?” She asked.

“You just got detention. No, you can’t drive.”

Rosalie huffed as she sat down in the passenger's seat. Emmett would understand, even if the others didn’t. He would defend her. He always did when she flew off the handle like this. A dark feeling gripped her stomach. Why did _anger_ have to be the part of her that was enhanced in her vampire life? Carlisle had theorised before that it had something to do with the way she had died. All she knew was that she didn’t want to be so irrationally heated about what felt like everything.

Her eyes stung as she stared out the window in silence the rest of the way home. If she could cry, she would have.

* * *

Jessica sat in Biology class staring off into space. She wished she could have rerun into Emmett but he clearly had been avoiding her. She cringed in embarrassment to remember him so obviously ducking out of her path the other morning.

At least he had been nice to her. Unlike his brother, Edward. But what about their other brother? Jasper... He was extremely quiet, and she doesn’t think she’s ever heard him say a peep. And the way he was always glaring at nothing. He probably had some major baggage, being adopted and all.

It was a pity she didn’t swing the other way because Alice and Rosalie were so good-looking as well. She thought back to Rosalie’s rage-filled eyes that day in the bathroom and shuddered. She would just keep her distance from the Cullens all together.

The bell rang suddenly breaking her out of her reverie. She started to pack up her things when Mike bounded over to her table.

“Hey Jess,” He was so bubbly all the time.

“Hey Mike,” She said politely.

“That was so boring, wasn’t it.”

“Yeah.” She stood to leave but he blocked her path.

“What are you up to later?” He asked hopefully.

“Nothing much got some homework.” She replied. What was with him? He was like a lost puppy. Jessica thought about how awkward Mike was in elementary school. She was pretty sure she remembered him eating his boogers in front of the whole class.

“Oh yeah, me too.” He awkwardly shifted his feet. “Hey, do you have a boyfriend?” He managed to blurt out.

“What? No.” She said slightly offended. “Mike, I gotta get to class. Bye.” She walked out the door and around the corner heading to P.E.

Ew, Mike was trying to ask her out for sure. Did she want Mike to ask her out? She considered what other people in her friend group would say. Definite social suicide she concluded.

Maybe she should just give boys a break for now. Take time to focus on herself. She thought about the advice her mother had started peppering into their shopping trips in the last couple of years. There was no point of getting invested in a boy if she didn’t love herself first. So she resigned herself to having a pamper evening that night. Bubble bath, face mask, the works. It would be like a little date with herself. Or maybe she would invite Angela as well...

* * *

Edward and Rosalie sit in the back of their English class in silence as a film is played on the TV screen.

“You should hear what Jess is thinking,” Edward chuckled under his breath.

Rosalie glared at him. The worst-case scenario flashing through her head; Jessica planning to talk to Emmett, her telling the whole school they were dating, confronting her again.

“Nothing like that,” Edward reassured her. “Quite the opposite, she’s sworn off men all together now.”

Good, Rosalie thought. At least the girl had some sense.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going after her.” Rosalie sneered at him.

Carlisle had reprimanded Edward for assisting Rosalie in her crimes, and he had made Edward her babysitter at school as punishment. It offended Rosalie that having to listen to her every thought was considered a punishment. As if he didn’t do that all the time anyway.

“I wasn’t,” Edward whispered back. She wasn’t sure which part he was denying.

Rosalie tried to fathom it. Why had Jessica not backed down? There was something strong about her surely. Rosalie’s siblings couldn’t even look her in the eye sometimes when she got into fights with them. But the tenaciousness of this short little human. She was nothing, a mere speck in the universe, yet she had stood up to a vampire and she didn’t even know it. She was steadfast, she would give her that.

Good, stay away from men, she thought vehemently. They will only hurt you. When you are young they assume you know nothing, treat you like nothing. She could feel the edges of her final human memories creeping out of the shadows. She took a deep breath. In and out. In and out. Until the jagged edges of her past receded. That wasn’t her anymore, Rosalie told herself. Like she’d been telling herself for almost a century.

She gently began to admire Jessica. Perhaps if she had been that strong as a human maybe things would’ve turned out differently.

Edward gave her a sideways look.

“Shut up,” She whispered at him. She decided she would just avoid Jessica from now on like Emmett was. Eternally, always taking her social cues from him.

She noticed Edward visibly relax in his chair. She was sure he couldn’t wait to spread the good news.

**Author's Note:**

> Kia ora, I hope you enjoyed reading! This was a prompt from a friend who just really wanted to see a Rosalie and Jessica fight. Not very gender forward that it's over a guy but hey, it felt like the only thing Rosalie would kick up a stink about.   
> Anyways, feel free to tell me your favourite part in the comments!   
> Thanks!


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